This book project is an outcome of the StateCapFinance project that explores the relationship between state, capitalism, and finance in emerging markets. The idea for this volume emerged in July 2022 during a workshop with our international cooperation partners in Frankfurt – each an expert in their respective areas and country cases. What transpired during this event was that while we came from different theoretical traditions and engaged in different debates and might not agree on all these issues, we all had a common aim of inquiry that bound us together – which was to understand the agency of emerging markets within the context of the global financial system. This book is an extension of this dialogue. Rather than following one paradigm, it ought to be understood as a space for conversation in trying to come to a better understanding of our common goal.

We also would like to thank those who participated in our ongoing conversations but were unable to join the book project for various reasons, especially Alexander Abramov, Muyang Chen, Indradeep Ghosh, Thomas Kalinowski, Nancy Kim, Kai Koddenbrock, Ilja Viktorov, and Jing Wang. Our thanks goes also to Isobel, Ellen, and Inga from Bristol University Press for their enthusiasm, patience, and guidance as well as to Niklas Kullick for his research and editorial assistance. We also acknowledge the generous funding by the German Research Foundation/Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (NO 855/7-1) who financed this project. Finally, we would like to thank our families – Becky, Robin, and Sarah, and Andrea, Anouk, and Antonia – for their patience and support throughout this process.